On Monday (22nd), the Senior Citizens' Housing Association announced at its 25th anniversary ceremony that it will launch a "wireless modern safety bell" as early as next year.
The new version is equipped with 4G mobile network function, no need to rely on fixed-line telephone lines, and is equipped with a Bluetooth remote control that can transmit instructions more effectively. At the same time, it is used as a remote safety bell to control the neck-mounted "safety switch", and the waterproof function will also be improved. Reinforced, even when the user is in the bath, it can be worn and used.
The Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Luo Zhiguang, who attended the same meeting, pointed out that Hong Kong, as the world's longest-lived region, will face an aging population more severely than other regions.
According to government estimates last year, the population over 85 years old will reach 550,000 in 2041, which is 2.4 times the current number, and will increase to nearly 840,000 by 2061. Elderly services will be a major challenge in the future.
The government must draw on the success points of the safety bell
Although the government has invested resources in the development of senior technology in recent years, it hopes to achieve a more ideal implementation effect for strengthening the home by strengthening the support for the elderly at home, but it seems to ignore that the success of the safety bell is not entirely based on technological development. , But the service can meet the needs of the elderly and meet the needs of the elderly beyond the physical.
There are five main services of the safety bell, namely guard service, emergency support, location search, outpatient appointment and medication reminder, and daily life consultation, from detecting user activity status, tracking user real-time location, assisting in appointment of government outpatient clinic and even setting medication reminder And answer the user’s daily life and everything, it can be said to provide a full range of care.
Elderly safety bells have also caught up with fashion trends.
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Two characteristics fill vacancies in government services
Among them, there are two special services that cannot be satisfied by the government at present.
The first familiar service is emergency contact. The safety bell service center integrates user-authorized medical records and contact information of relatives and friends. In the event of an accident, the service center can contact relatives and send medical record information to the hospital, which helps speed up The hospital handles the user situation.
Secondly, the elderly's need for care and how to handle daily affairs can also be met by the safety bell service. According to the figures of the annual report of the "One-line Safety Bell" from 2019 to 2020, it can be seen that the number of emergency requests received is about 30,092. The condolences service has more than 237,399 users, and the case sharing in the annual report shows that users have a great demand for communication, spiritual needs and even emotional service support.
The safety bell service is like a remote caregiver for the elderly.
(Photo by Deng Qianying)
In addition, since November, the government has required citizens entering and leaving government facilities to use the "Travel with Peace" application, which undoubtedly caused trouble to the elderly who are not familiar with the operation of electronic products.
The Senior Citizens’ Homes Association has stated that the “One-line Safety Bell” service hotline center has received increasing inquiries about the use of the “Travel with Peace” mobile application in government establishments, and has expanded its support services to assist the elderly in downloading relevant applications and answering related questions. The problem not only highlights the flexibility of the organization in solving problems, but also can effectively assist the elderly in solving their daily life problems.
The government must understand that technology is ultimately only a supporting package to help elderly services do better, and home care is only one of the major goals of elderly services. The long-term focus still needs to be based on the ability to provide appropriate services.
The biggest goal of home care should not be purely to solve the problem of the extremely long waiting time in the residential homes, let alone the placement of the elderly, but to enable the elderly to enjoy their twilight years and meet their non-material needs in life. Be satisfied.
Don’t let the home for the elderly be destroyed on the last mile. Alleviate the problems of the elderly. It is urgent to take a multi-pronged approach. The poverty of the elderly brought out by a $200 gift voucher.
